Is French Coffee Better Than Italian Coffee?

The difference between French Roast and Italian Roast coffee seems pretty straightforward – the beans were grown or roasted in the respective countries, right? Not necessarily. Of course, the beans could have been grown or roasted in either one of the two countries, but that wouldn’t have brought about such a difference in their tastes. The difference is due to their methods of preparation i.e. the comparative roast level.

They’re known as either French Roast or Italian Roast because the people of that country developed an acquired taste for that type of coffee. For me, the stronger is the coffee, the better it is. So, I’m leaning more towards Italian Roast coffee. However, French Roast coffee is admittedly more common. Let’s see some of the differences between barista coffee and espresso style.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to your taste in coffee.

Basic Differences:

The principal difference between the two, other than taste, is that Italian roast is darker and oilier than French roast coffee. This is because coffee beans are subjected to higher temperatures for a longer period during the making of an Italian than a French roast. The extended period of roasting causes the Italian roast to have a more bitter or burnt taste and lesser caffeine quantity.

French Roast:

A characteristic feature of French roasting is the cracking sound produced by the coffee beans as they are subjected to high temperatures. The first crack heard is a sign that your coffee is just about ready and the second crack indicates that it’s finally ready. Following the second crack, there is a change in the appearance of the coffee beans.

The beans become dark brown, and the oils in the coffee create a lustrous appearance. With a French Roast, the temperature of the roast is already high enough that these oils are brought to the surface and impart a roasted flavor to the produced coffee or espresso. While the color may be darker than traditional coffee, it isn’t the darkest. This coffee is mostly preferred by people who want a cup of coffee that gives a taste somewhere between bitter and sweet.

Italian Roast:

Italian roast is darker and oilier than French roast coffee. The darker roast attributes to the more bitter or burnt taste of the coffee. Simultaneously, the caffeine content decreases more during Italian roast than it would have during French roast.

Strength:

The strength of the coffee can depend on either its caffeine content or the color of the coffee. The methods of roasting the coffee beans in French roast and Italian roast differ due to the changes in temperature. An Italian roast produces roasted coffee at higher temperatures than French roasted coffee. This results in a more pronounced flavor of the roast as opposed to the flavor of the bean. The color also darkens; hence an Italian roast produces darker coffee than a French roast coffee.

Alternatively, the caffeine content can also tell us about the strength of the coffee. Higher temperatures tend to decrease the caffeine content. Thus, French roast produces coffee that has higher caffeine content than Italian roasted coffee.

Conclusion:

To claim that one type is better than the other would be unjust without actually having an international survey and every person in the world voting on the two types of coffee. Practically, that is impossible. So, I’ll just leave it on the person who is trying it and let them pick the coffee that suits his t